Covina: Pat Sullivan's Talk About Town

You can get an early start on your Christmas shopping when the members of the Covina Woman's Club hold their annual Christmas Boutique "Mrs. Claus' Cupboard" on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 23 and 24.

On Friday the boutique will be open from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the clubhouse, 128 S. San Jose Ave., Covina.

All the items for sale are handcrafted and many are unique. There will be Christmas trees, wreaths, candy, cookies, breads, jams, jellies, candles and hand-painted items, beautiful custom jewelry and even handmade quilts.

One special vendor will be the Tamale Lady, so take home a dozen or two.

The clubhouse can be rented for special events and there is an on-site caterer, if you need to include a meal.

The Clubhouse has been used for training sessions, especially all-day sessions, luncheons, dinners, recognition and awards event, graduations, weddings, engagement parties and many more events.

Come to the boutique if only to see how large the facility is and how it may enhance your event.

For more information about the rental fees, call 626-967-1963 and leave a message. Someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

Parking is very limited, so a shuttle will take participants from the Smart and Final parking lot on the corner of Badillo Street and Azusa Avenue over to the event starting at 5:15 p.m. The shuttle will run until the end of the event.

Light refreshments will be served and any money raised will benefit Citrus Valley Hospice. You can donate money through the Memorial and Tribute Program by purchasing a light for $30 for the tree, an inscribed ornament for $100, an angel ornament for $500, a wreath for $1,000 or, the highest donation, the Tree Top Star for $2,500, which will also give you reserved parking and seating.

In order to include the names of the people you are honoring through your donations, the donations must be turned in by Friday, Nov. 30.

Citrus Valley Hospice was established in 1987 and offers both an inpatient facility and home-based services for terminal illnesses.

You can find information about the Hospice online at www.cvhf.org.

MEMORY LANE

There is a video on YouTube that shows early photos of Covina while Ed Jessup talks about the early history of the town. You can access the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_CUnMPk6oc.

While we are tramping down memory lane, cast your mind back a few years. Do you remember the miniature golf course at the corner of Azusa Avenue and San Bernardino Road?

What about La Fiesta, which was also on San Bernardino Road a little west of the golf course. How about Sears at Azusa and Cypress?

What were your favorite places that have fallen to the wrecking ball in the years that you have lived here?